ICU sedation, delirium & recovery
Targeted Temperature Management at 35°C vs. 37°C for Heatstroke in ICU: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors' conclusion
This pilot study confirms the operational feasibility of a large-scale randomized clinical trial. However, therapeutic hypothermia was associated with significantly worse gastrointestinal injury and higher arrhythmia incidence, without evidence of neurologic or survival benefit.
Study context
- Population
- Intubated adults (18 yr or older) with heatstroke, 10 tertiary ICUs in China
- Participants
- 35 adults
- Comparison
- Targeted temperature management (TTM) at 35°C vs controlled normothermia
- Primary endpoint
- Feasibility (recruitment rate, retention rate, protocol adherence)
Methodological detailspilot, multicentre
- Pilot
- Multicentre
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Feasibility
Recruitment rate
83.7%
Retention rate
97.2%
Protocol adherence
exceeded 88%
Further findings
28-day poor functional outcome
- No significant difference, 28-day poor functional outcome (therapeutic hypothermia vs controlled normothermia)
- 17.6% vs. 16.7%
Survival · 28 days
- No significant difference, survival (therapeutic hypothermia vs controlled normothermia)
- 82.4% vs. 83.3%
Safety
Severe gastrointestinal injury (Acute Gastrointestinal Injury grade 3-4)
- Significantly higher with therapeutic hypothermia vs controlled normothermia
- 52.9% vs. 0%
- p < 0.001
Arrhythmias
- Significantly higher with therapeutic hypothermia vs controlled normothermia
- 41.2% vs. 11.1%
- p = 0.045
Lytic cocktail required (rescue for refractory shivering)
- Hypothermia vs normothermia
- 100% vs. 27.8%
- p < 0.001
Original publication
Targeted Temperature Management at 35°C vs. 37°C for Heatstroke in ICU: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. Crit Care Med. Published 6 August 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →